Padlock protector

ABSTRACT

A protector or shield for a lock such as a padlock composed of two strong rigid hood sections, each a mirror image of the other, both of which may be secured to mating doors or one of which may be secured to a door post, so that the sections will assume abutting engagement when the door or doors are closed. The two abutting sections, forming the protective hood or shield, are open only at the bottom to provide access for a padlock. Abutting internal walls of the two sections have aligned openings through which the padlock shackle is passed for locking the door or doors in a closed position. The protective hood or shield is formed of a material which is resistant to burning with an actylene torch and which is sufficiently strong and tough to withstand forces imparted thereto by a sledge hammer, pry bar, chisel, bolt cutter or the like, to afford protection to the lock.

. [76] Inventor:

Mudge, Jr.

[ Nov. 4, 1975 PADLOCK PROTECTOR Karl E. Mudge, Jr., 1219 Bender Ave., Holly Hill, Fla. 32017 [22] Filed: Jan. 8, 1975 [21] Appl. No.: 539,499

Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John N. Randolph [57] ABSTRACT A protector or shield for a lock such as a padlock composed of two strong rigid hood sections, each a mirror image of the other, both of which may be secured to mating doors orone of which may be secured to a door post, so that the sections will assume abutting engagement when the door or doors are closed. The two abutting sections, forming the protective hood or shield, are open only at the bottom to provide access for a padlock. Abutting internal walls of the two sections have aligned openings through which the padlock shackle is passed for locking the door or doors in a closed position. The protective hood or shield is formed of a material which is resistant to burning with an actylene torch and which is sufficiently strong and tough to withstand forces imparted thereto by a sledge hammer, pry bar, chisel, bolt cutter or the like, to afford protection to the lock.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 PADLOCK PROTECTOR SUMMARY It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a lock protector or shield capable of enclosing a padlock in such a manner that it cannot be readily damaged by implements such as sledge hammers, pry bars, chisels and bolt cutters, used for breaking padlocks for gaining unauthorized access to an enclosure intended to be protected by a padlock.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock protector composed of halves each of which is a mirror image of the other, one of whichmay be secured to a movable closure and the other to a door post or second closure, and which protector halves assume abutting engagement with one another when the closure or closures are closed, so that a padlock may be engaged through parts of the two protector halves for locking said halves together and retaining the closure or closures in a closed position.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the protector halves in abutting engagement with one another and secured together by a padlock, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the two protector halves separated from one another.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically to the drawing, the padlock protector in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 3 and is composed of two halves or sections 4 and 5, each of which is a mirror image of the other.

Each lock protector half 4 and 5 includes a substantially flat rear wall section 6, convexly rounded top walll portion 7, a side wall portion 8 and a front wall portion 9. Each protector half has an internal wall 10 which extends between the upper portions of the rear wall 6 and front wall 8 and which is provided with an opening 11. The rear wall 6, below the internal wall 10, has openings 12 to receive fastenings 13, such as carriage bolts and plow bolts, by means of which the lock protector half 4, for example, may be secured to a movable closure 14, such as a sliding door, and the other lock protector half5 secured to a door post or a second, mating sliding door. The lock protector halves may also be secured to doors and door posts by weld- In the closed position of the doors 14 and 15 or the door 14, the two lock protector halves 4 and 5 are disposed in abutting engagement, as seen in FIG. 1. The wall portions 6, 8 and 9 of said two sections combine to define a cavity l6 which is open at its bottom, so that an unlocked padlock 17 may be inserted into said cavity 16 through the open bottom thereof and the padlock shackle or U-shaped bar 18, passed through the registering openings 1 1, after which the padlock 17 can be closed and locked. The open bottom of the cavity 16 provides access for unlocking the padlock 17 and for disengaging its shackle 18 from the openings 11. The adjacent edges of the wall 9 are recessed, as seen in FIG. 2, so that said recesses provide a viewing opening 19, when the protector halves are in abutting engagement, as seen in FIG. 1, through which the dial of a combination-type padlock can be viewed for unlocking such a padlock.

The two lock protector halves 4 and 5 are formed of a material which will resist damage by an acetylene torch or by implements such as sledge hammers, pry bars, chisels and bolt cutters to prevent an unauthorized person from breaking or otherwise opening the lock.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A padlock protector comprising a hood having an internal cavity opening through the bottom of the hood, said hood being composed of two halves each a mirror image of the other and each having an internal wall provided with an opening, at least one of said hood sections being adapted to be secured to a movable closure, said other hood section being adapted to be secured to a door post or second closure whereby said hood sections will assume abutting engagement with one another when the closure or closures are in a closed position and with said internal wall openings in registration with one another to receive a padlock shackle for locking the hood sections together and for securing the closure or closures in a closed position.

2. A padlock protector as in claim 1, said hood sections having notched abutting edges defining a viewing opening for viewing the dial of padlock contained in said cavity.

3. A padlock protector as in claim 1, said hood sections being formed of a material resistant to burning by an acetylene torch or to damage by implements such as sledge hammers, pry bars, chisels and bolt cutters.

4. A padlock protector as in claim 1, said protector hood having a convexly rounded top merging with front and side walls of the hood.

5. A padlock protector as in claim 4, and each of said hood sections including a substantially flat rear wall portion having fastening receiving openings for securing said section rigidly to a closure or door post.

6. A padlock protector as in claim 5, said internal wall extending between and being formed integral with upper portions with the front and rear walls of said section. 

1. A padlock protector comprising a hood having an internal cavity opening through the bottom of the hood, said hood being composed of two halves each a mirror image of the other and each having an internal wall provided with an opening, at least one of said hood sections being adapted to be secured to a movable closure, said other hood section being adapted to be secured to a door post or second closure whereby said hood sections will assume abutting engagement with one another when the closure or closures are in a closed position and with said internal wall openings in registration with one another to receive a padlock shackle for locking the hood sections together and for securing the closure or closures in a closed position.
 2. A padlock protector as in claim 1, said hood sections having notched abutting edges defining a viewing opening for viewing the dial of padlock contained in said cavity.
 3. A padlock protector as in claim 1, said hood sections being formed of a material resistant to burning by an acetylene torch or to damage by implements such as sledge hammers, pry bars, chisels and bolt cutters.
 4. A padlock protector as in claim 1, said protector hood having a convexly rounded top merging with front and side walls of the hood.
 5. A padlock protector as in claim 4, and each of said hood sections including a substantially flat rear wall portion having fastening receiving openings for securing said section rigidly to a closure or door post.
 6. A padlock protector as in claim 5, said internal wall extending between and being formed integral with upper portions with the front and rear walls of said section. 